We decided to skip the week after the show, so this was our first get-together. There was a quietness about the session as we realised there was nothing pressing to get on with. In fact, what to do now was a major issue. There would be invites to other shows coming in, but for now, we were definitely in a lull.
We discussed repairs and set up the masons boards to tackle a slight misalignment of a point rail, which was quickly resolved.
We then settled on adapting the display cabinet cassette turning platform. This had apparently given some operators a problem, being a bit too low over the mainline cassette position. The existing platform was removed. Rather than take it apart, a new, simpler platform was made to the same profile, screwed in place and painted. The original will be kept just in case the new one proves to be a problem and a 'quick' swap can be made.
The gauge of the 'track' slots in the display case had been queried, but they measured wider than 16.5mm, so no action was taken. Maybe we'll be advised what the problem was in due course?
Geoff raised a possible project totally unknown to Stephen. He claimed that a long, long time ago, we discussed adding a 75mm extension to the front of the layout in order to fit a long siding to the Worton Court station area. He reasoned that there were only relevantly short sidings in the station and nowhere to 'dump' a full train of full or empty stone wagons. Stephen argued that they were normally run-around and sent to their destination fairly quickly, and rarely caused an issue. However, Geoff is keen to investigate further, if only to give us something to do!
Stephen promoted the idea of signage panels along the front giving details of various features we often tell the public about and which might go completely missed if we weren't able to engage with someone at the time. E.g. The gasifier plant and generator/battery room i.e. the process of generating electricity for the house. The tunnel to and from the quarry. Self-evident, but a description and map might make the arrangement clearer. Labels over the apertures in the end wall of the fiddleyard to explain 'the rest of the world'.
A fool proof way of storing the telephone wires/magnets was suggested. We'd experienced a tangle shortly before the show and the thought of it happening in future focussed our minds.
We can discuss these ideas in due course, but we do need tasks to occupy us.
